New Hamburg, ON, Canada, September 4, 2020 -- An online-only auction dedicated in large part to music machines, coin-ops and advertising – featuring the outstanding lifetime collections of Ken Vinen and Jack Winkler – will be held on Saturday, September 19th by Miller & Miller Auctions, Ltd., based in New Hamburg, Ontario. The 632-lot auction will start promptly at 9 am Eastern time.

Other categories include signs, petroliana (gas station collectibles), automobilia, breweriana, historical objects, general store and toys. Many of the items are Canadian in origin. Internet bidding will be facilitated by LiveAuctioneers.com and the Miller & Miller Auctions, Ltd. website (www.MillerandMillerAuctions.com). Phone and absentee bids will also be accepted.

A few expected top lots include an early 1900s Seeburg Style “G” orchestrion, a coin-operated mechanical masterpiece (est. $20,000-$30,000); a 27-inch orchestral Regina upright music box, also coin-operated and made in 1898 (est. $8,000-$10,000); and a 1950s Shell Tokheim double gasoline pump, fully restored (est. $8,000-$10,000). All prices quoted are in Canadian dollars.

The Seeburg Style “G” orchestrion is the expected top lot of the auction. The player piano melody is backed by a tightly-packed orchestra of bass and snare drums, two ranks of flute pipes, a mandolin feature, cymbal and triangle. The 66 inch tall by 79 inch wide unit retains the correct torch mosaic leaded art glass doors and comes with thirteen “G” rolls.

The 27-inch orchestral Regina upright music box is a marvelous machine, originally rented as a coin-consuming investment to shrewd bar owners as a money-maker that also provided fun entertainment, a way to divert patrons from neighboring establishments. The music box is tagged ‘Orchestral Regina’ to the frieze board and comes with 29 discs.

The Shell Tokheim 300 double gas pump is a true beacon of prosperity from the golden age of the motorist. This iconically designed pump makes the same glowing statement as the cars of the era. It was the recipient of a master restoration and measures 58 inches tall by 34 inches wide by 16 inches deep. Gas pumps are hugely popular as man cave items.

Machines that play music, many of them from the Vinen and Winkler collections, are plentiful and will include the following. All four carry estimates of $4,000-$6,000.

- A coin-operated Coinola “CX” Nickelodeon, made in America in the 1920s, boasting a piano, mandolin and xylophone; marked “Coinola” inner key cover.

- A George Baker & Co. cylinder music box, Swiss, manufactured in 1892, a rare variant featuring the harmony of drum with six bells; restored, with 5 cylinders.

- A Wurlitzer Model 1015 jukebox, made in America in 1946, the most identifiable jukebox ever produced, with a curated library of 78 rpm records with title cards.

- An American Berliner trademark model A gramophone, made in the US circa 1897, with quarter-sawn oak case, early motor, 2-weight governor and side brake.

The Berliner trademark A gramophone is among 32 Berliners offered in this sale as part of the Jack Winkler collection. The collection boasts the most comprehensive offering of Berliner gramophones ever offered in Canada.

A two-sided 1930s porcelain Ford sign made for the Canadian market, untouched and original, 27 ¾ inches by 18 inches, should bring $3,000-$5,000; while a circa 1890 high-wheel bicycle made in Canada, marked “The Goold Bicycle Company Ltd., Branford, Ont.”, sporting a 54-inch diameter front wheel, is expected to sell for $4,000-$6,000.

A 1940s Canadian two-sided, three piece ensemble sign for IGA Super Market in a painted blue frame, 80 inches by 72 inches, a classic 20th century grocery sign, should realize $4,000-$6,000; and a Canadian 1920s tin litho sign for Mother Hubbard Shoes, 60 inches by 30 inches in the original wood frame, has a pre-sale estimate of $3,500-$5,000.

An early 1900s Holcomb & Hoke (Indianapolis, Ind.) Butter-Kist popcorn machine in a walnut case, a floor model variation with assorted related ephemera, should hit $4,000-$6,000. Also, an early O-Pee-Chee chewing gum vending machine, made in Canada around 1915, with a porcelain face and wood case, is estimated to fetch $3,500-$5,000.

A Canadian circa 1880s carved wood advertising figure of a pharaoh in early overpaint, its arms extended to present chocolate samples and cigars to passersby, should achieve $4,000-$6,000; and a sheepskin jacket that Rompin’ Ronnie Hawkins custom-ordered and wore during his 1981/2 television debut “Honky Tonk”, featuring a hand-tooled hawk on reverse, is estimated at $2,000-$3,000.

The auction coincides with Miller & Miller’s announcement of exciting new updates to its online auction platform. “We’re committed to delivering a simple, safe and dependable online bidding experience,” said Ethan Miller of Miller & Miller Auctions, Ltd. “We’re continually investing in our digital platform to provide quality service and capability to enhance the user experience.”

Mr. Miller said the most recent update involves an exciting ‘refresh’ to the online platform. “There’s no learning curve or major changes to our operations,” he pointed out. “This update will simply present users with an improved experience as they navigate our online auctions.”

Miller & Miller Auctions has also launched a new mobile app for iOS and Android. Bidders can now choose to participate virtually in auctions using a phone or tablet for a convenient, portable experience. They can place bids and receive instant updates and notifications with a few taps.

Miller & Miller Auctions, Ltd. has two more major auctions planned for the fall. A Canadiana & Historic Objects auction, featuring the Stead and Withington collections, is slated for Saturday, October 24th. Then, a Watches, Jewellery and Decorative Arts auction is slotted on Saturday, November 21st. Both sales will be held online at 9am Eastern, and will be webcast from the New Hamburg gallery. Consignments are welcome.

To learn more about Miller & Miller Auctions and the firm’s slate of upcoming auctions, visit www.MillerandMillerAuctions.com.

About Miller & Miller Auctions:
Miller & Miller Auctions is Canada’s trusted seller of high-value collections and is always accepting quality consignments. The firm specializes in watches and jewelry, art, antiques and high-value collectibles. Its mission is to provide collectors with a trusted place to buy and sell. To consign a single piece, an estate or a collection, you may call them at (519) 573-3710 or (519) 716-5606; or, e-mail to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. To learn more, visit www.MillerandMillerAuctions.com.

Media Contact:
Ethan Miller
Miller & Miller Auctions, Ltd.
59 Webster Street
New Hamburg, Ontario, Canada N3A 1W8
519-573-3710 or 519-716-5606
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http://www.millerandmillerauctions.com

Hanover, MA, Sep 5, 2020 -- Lapels Dry Cleaning, an innovative, environmentally friendly dry cleaning company headquartered in Hanover, Massachusetts, recently retained the services of ClickTecs. Based in Missisauga, Ontario in Canada, ClickTecs is a Digital Marketing agency with a specialty in developing digital campaigns for clients ranging from small start-up franchises to large multi-national brands.

“ClickTecs has a great reputation in the franchise industry for helping franchisors develop messaging that reaches desired prospects,” said Kevin Dubois, CEO of Lapels Dry Cleaning. “Through working with Jam and the ClickTecs team, we have been able to clearly define our prospects, which will dramatically increase the effectiveness of the Facebook and LinkedIn campaigns we’ll be running.”

ClickTecs first worked with Lapels on its redesign of its franchise website, https://lapelsfranchise.com/. With knowledge gained from that experience, ClickTecs embarked on the Facebook and Linkedin campaigns last month. Those campaigns will run through the remainder of summer and into the fall.

“Lapels had a pretty good idea of who their prospects are. Through our process, we were able to help them further clarify their ideal prospect. This analysis took into consideration the current economic climate. For example, corporate executives who see the current economy and may want to take a stab at franchising rather than the uncertainty that’s coming as the country pulls out of the pandemic,” said Jam Hashmi, owner of ClickTecs. “With this type of refinement of the ideal prospect, we can create a campaign that resonates with very solid leads to help continue the growth of the Lapels Dry Cleaning brand.”

Lapels has pioneered its eco-friendly dry-cleaning experience over the past two decades. Lapels has a partnership agreement with GreenEarth®, the dry cleaning industry’s only non-toxic cleaning alternative for its newer locations. Using these kinds of solutions and the latest technology in equipment, Lapels is one of the few dry cleaners able to boast that there is no hazardous waste in their process. Their environmentally-friendly cleaning process has no odor and is gentler on clothes, thus lengthening the life of clothes.

Lapels Dry Cleaning also sets itself apart with its customer service. Lapels customers are greeted to a warm and inviting reception area, with friendly customer service representatives, and alteration services.

In terms of its services, Lapels offers its customers Automatic Rewards earning them credit towards free dry cleaning for every dollar they spend, Loyalty Programs, a VIP Program which eliminates the need to wait in line, the use of a 24 Hour Drop Off Service and FREE Home Delivery to all its customers. Lapels Dry Cleaning offer free pickup and drop-off service. During the COVID 19 pandemic Lapels also offers a “car hop” service where customers can drop off and pick up their clothing without ever leaving their cars.

For more information on During the pandemic, hours at Lapels Dry Cleaning of Hanover will be Monday through Friday, 8am to 5 pm and Saturday 9 am to 4 pm. For complete information on Lapels Dry Cleaning, please visit https://mylapels.com/locations/hanover/.

Lapels Dry Cleaning – Environmentally Friendly Cleaners
Each Lapels Dry Cleaning store offers a full slate of services, including same-day dry cleaning; shirt service; tailoring; wedding gown preservation; suede and leather processing; box storage and fur storage. Lapels Dry Cleaning has stores in Arizona (Buckeye, Gilbert, Chandler, Phoenix, Scottsdale and Yuma), California (Gilroy, Hollister), Colorado (Littleton), Connecticut (Cromwell), Florida (Fleming Island, Orange Park, Tampa); Illinois (Wilmette); Massachusetts (Abington, Allston, Bedford, Boston, Boston Seaport, South Boston, Brighton, Burlington, Cohasset, Concord, Dedham, Dover, Easton, Hanover, Hingham, Kingston, North Andover, Malden, Marshfield, Martha’s Vineyard, Newtonville, Norton, Somerville, Stoughton, Waltham, Wakefield, Wellesley, Westford, Westwood, W Roxbury and Wilmington), Mississippi (New Albany, Olive Branch, Tupelo, Oxford, Pontotoc), New Jersey (Brick, Somerville), New York (Latham), North Carolina (Charlotte), Oklahoma (Edmond, Oklahoma City), Pennsylvania (Bloomsburg), South Carolina (Fort Mill, Myrtle Beach, Pawleys Island), Tennessee (Arlington, Brentwood, Franklin, Germantown, Nashville), Texas (Brownsville, Katy, Little Elm, Prosper, Richmond, Spring, Sugar Land). Additional locations are coming soon to Carolina Forest, SC and Brooklyn NY.

Lapels Dry Cleaning has received a number of accolades in the franchise world. That includes being ranked again on the 2020 Entrepreneur Franchise 500 list for the country’s top Franchise Systems. Entrepreneur's “Franchise 500” is the best and most comprehensive rating of franchises in the world and is based on objective, quantifiable measures of a franchise operation. Lapels Dry Cleaning has also been named to Franchise Times Top 200+.

Lapels has also achieved acclaim in the dry cleaning industry. Lapels Dry Cleaning CEO Kevin Dubois is the co-author of Entrepreneurial Insanity in the Dry Cleaning Business, sold on Amazon.com.

Lapels Dry Cleaning corporate offices are located at 962 Washington Street, Hanover, MA 02339. 

To learn more about franchise opportunities with Lapels Dry Cleaning, call toll free (866) 695-2735 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Additional information and up-to-date company news can also be found on the company’s Web site, www.lapelsdrycleaning.com.

Media Contact:
Steven V. Dubin, PR Works
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781-582-1061

ADELAIDE BOOKS is proud to offer the latest work by Joseph A. Pasquale Kindred Spirits: Horse Racing Name Poems hitting stores everywhere on August 10th, 2020.

This poetry collection, Kindred Spirits: Horse Racing Name Poems was inspired by horse racing names at current tracks across America. In total, each horse name originated from about twenty-five race tracks across the United States. Throughout the process, Joseph Pasquale worked with a poetic postulation to the following questions: What meaning can we associate to every word we encounter? How can we choose to interpret that meaning and then associate it again to an even greater meaning we choose to construct? This collection was such an experiment in poetry. As tempting as it was to add or delete words, the author refrained in order to maintain the material’s integrity. The book is separated into three sections to arc the reader’s journey through wisdom, nature, and hope.

Available on Amazon

For information regarding this title and its Author, or any other title by Adelaide Books, or to receive ARC reviewers copy of this book, please write to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

The catalog is packed with African tribal sculptures and masks from the late 1800s through the mid-20th century, rare examples of Bangwa, Dogon, Baule, Ibibio, Yoruba, Bakongo and Senufo art.

Franklin, MA, USA, September 6, 2020 -- 500 Gallery will make a brief departure from its core business of fine art originals and attributions with the first in a series of all-tribal art auctions, online-only, on Wednesday, September 30th, at 5:30 pm Eastern time. The sale features African tribal sculptures and masks from the late 1800s through the mid-20th century. People can register and bid now, at www.500Gallery.com.

The catalog – a taut 60 lots – is packed with rare examples of Bangwa, Dogon, Baule, Ibibio, Yoruba, Bakongo and Senufo art, gathered over the past few decades by a collector in Massachusetts.

“This auction has an abbreviated, ‘teaser’ selection from a deep collection of African tribal art that will be coming to market over the next few years,” said Bruce Wood of 500 Gallery, adding, “Cataloging it has become a fascinating endeavor and we're looking forward to presenting many surprisingly rare masterworks.” Watch the 500 Gallery website for more details as they emerge.

A prime candidate for top lot of the Sept. 30 sale is the early 20th century house post from the Yoruba People of Nigeria (est. $50,000-$150,000). The house post, 73 inches tall and made from carved wood enhanced with pigments, is designed to stand at an entryway, and shows the status of the occupants within. The main figure is a queen, seated on an elaborately decorated stool.

A marital group (or Nomos) from the Dogon People of Mali, estimated to have been made circa late 19th century, is expected to bring $30,000-$60,000. The seated group of eight hermaphroditic figures, with alternating male and female attributes, is dense-wood carved with raised arms and upward stretched fingers, a gesture of praying for special gifts (or, specifically, marital success).

An early 20th century Badu plank mask with a female form from the Nafana People of the Ivory Coast carries a pre-sale estimate of $20,000-$60,000. The 47 ¾ inch by 16 ¼ inch carved wood mask is decorated with a bold abstract design and colored with white kaolin clay and other pigments. The edges are worn smooth and the overall patina gives the mask a warm appearance.

An elaborately decorated ritual vessel from the Dogon People of Mali, made in the early-to-mid 20th century, should change hands for $25,000-$50,000. The carved wood hollowed ovoid vessel with a convex lid is warmly toned and finely patinated, and shows seated Nomo figures (evoking Dogon ancestors) and horses (expressing status and prestige and utilized in harvest celebrations).

A carved wood seated male figure from the Bamileke/Bangwa People of Cameroon, 36 inches tall, is estimated to command $25,000-$50,000. The circa 1900 memorial portrait figure of an important man is shown seated on a single-leg stool decorated with geometric designs. Such Bangwa sculptures are usually referred to as Leffem, after the society tasked with their keeping.

Also having an estimate of $25,000-$50,000 is a rare and unusual anthropomorphic bird mask from the Dan People of Liberia, 16 inches tall by 9 inches wide, on a 20 ½ inch stand. The 19th or 20th century carved wood mask with elaborately braided fiber hair exhibits a blend of human and bird features. It has a human-like face, but also a curved beak and hummingbird-like tongue.

An equestrian sculpture from the Dogon People of Mali, showing a horse with two riders (one male and one female), carved from hardwood in the 19th century, should gallop off for $20,000-$50,000. The sculpture has the patina of libations, possibly indicating the owners used it to attain social distinction. The Dogon often interpret equestrian statues as a display of wealth and power.

A carved wood face mask from the Grebo People of Liberia, combining fanciful elements of human and multiple animal traits, 20 inches tall and 19 inches wide, circa mid-20th century, has an estimate of $8,000-$16,000. The mask, conveying great determination and energy, is crested with wild animal horns and features a beard of braided fiber cords. It rests on a custom stand.

A large, early 20th century Nkisi N’Kondi (or power figure) from the Bakongo People of the Democratic Republic of Congo is estimated to reach $6,500-$15,000. The figure is made of carved wood, pigments, fabric, glass, nails and natural elements. A Nkisi N’Kondi is a magical charm, carved in the likeness of a human, and meant to highlight its function in human affairs.

A bird mask with teeth from the Dan People of Liberia, carved out of wood in the form of the abstracted face of a bird, whose open beak is lined with teeth, having an overall dark stained patina, has an estimate of $5,000-$12,000. The periphery of the late 19th/early 20th century mask is incised with holes for costume attachment. It measures 13 inches tall by 6 ¼ inches wide.

All 60 lots can be viewed in the 500 Gallery showroom, at 1243 Pond Street in Franklin, Mass., by appointment only on Tuesdays and Saturdays. To make an appointment, call 508-834-8190. For more info, visit www.500Gallery.com.

About 500 Gallery:
500 Gallery specializes in original artworks and works that are in the style of, in the manner of, or attributed to fine art masters. The firm is always accepting quality consignments for future auctions. To consign a single piece or an entire collection, you may call them at 508-834-8190; or, you can email them at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. For more info, visit www.500Gallery.com.

Media Contact:
Bruce Wood
500 Gallery
1243 Pond Street
Franklin, MA 02038 (USA)
508-834-8190
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http://www.500gallery.com